Project Jessie - Sad News and Happy News

Sad news - and we could really use your help.

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Although we are always careful as to how we spend our dollars, this program has never been focused solely on the costs. For example, we have never euthanized an animal in the program solely because the vetting costs were going to be high. We have never refused to help an animal that we knew would cost us money because they needed extra help – dental work, medications, extra vetting etc.

This past week was a shocker. Cameo came into our program from a high kill shelter that would have sent her to research, or killed her using gas. She would have spent her last days either in a lab, or gasping out the last moments of her life with burning lungs.

She was a young dog, just over a year old, and seemed to be in good spirits and in good health. She spent a few fine days at her foster home and everything seemed to be going well. She was eating well, loved going for walks, and was playful and silly with the other dogs when the mood struck.

She went to the vet for the same treatment that all Project Jessie dogs undergo – an over all examination, basic bloodwork, spaying, vaccinations and microchipping.

Everything looked good – until the vet actually had her on the table and made the first incision.

Cameo stopped breathing.

Not sure what was happening, the vet manually breathing for her, they took an x-ray and found something astonishing. Cameo had been brutally traumatized at some point – her diaphragm was ruptured and most of her abdominal organs were up inside her ribcage instead of where they belonged. Her liver was wrapped up and over her heart.

This was a major issue. We either needed to euthanize her on the spot – or try and perform heroic surgery on her. Because she was young and very sweet, we felt she deserved a chance.

Two vets spent the next 4 hours putting everything back into place, and repairing the damages. Based on the type of injury and the fact that healing had started to take place (for example her liver was adhering – starting to grow attached to her heart), it was surmised that she was likely hit by a car or had some similar type of blunt force trauma happen to her 3 or 4 months previously.

She did well – seeming to recover well from the anesthetic and going on the next day to eat, get up and wander a bit, and to follow the vet outside for a bathroom break. In fact she had just had a little wander, had come back to her bed to rest and about 20 minutes later – she suddenly and quietly died. We were all devastated.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, poor Cameo wasn’t strong enough to make it. She is a perfect example of the types of sad surprises we encounter when dealing with animals. There was no indication that anything was amiss, and no indication that she would be such an expensive girl. Despite very deep discounts that our vet gave to us, her bill was almost $4000.

Should we have spend that much money on one dog when we could have covered routine costs for probably 20 other Project Jessie animals with the same money? If my crystal ball was working and I knew that she wouldn’t make it – obviously I wouldn’t have put her through the long surgery. It would have been kinder to let her go.

But we didn’t know. We didn’t know she was damaged before she came in and we didn’t know that the surgery wouldn’t work. She was already in the program, and we had already made the commitment to help her be healthy and adoptable and to find her a home.

How could we not try?

Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and unfortunately we now have a big vet bill that needs paying. I don’t normally ask for money in this newsletter, but I am asking today.

I know that times are tough for everyone. We are already seeing a slow down in adoptions and hearing from people who are giving up their animal companions because of the economy.

If everyone reading this message would consider donating a mere $10 we would more than cover Cameo’s bill – as well as the other Project Jessie animals.

We rescued dear Aldwin – a very sweet senior shihtzu just a couple of months ago and his vet needs amounted to about $1200. The beautiful Himalayan with the strange bump on her nose needed it removed because it was cancerous. Her bill was $500. A lovely little American Eskimo came in 2 weeks ago. Although he was already neutered, he needed 23 rotten teeth removed and his bill came to $400.

Although most of the animals that come into our program only need the basics (spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping) every little “extra” needs to be covered by donations. Yes, we do charge an adoption fee. But in most cases, it does not fully cover the vet bill. We rely on compassionate people like you, who believe that these animals deserve to have a second chance at a nice life.

You can make a one-time donation online using our secure server via the website https://wwws.vex.net/aac/jessieform.py or by mailing a cheque, or credit card info to the main office 221 Broadview Ave., Suite 101, Toronto, ON M4M 2G3 or please consider becoming a monthly donor.

Every little bit helps so much!

Thank you for caring, and for helping us to help the animals!

Shelly

For more information about the program, please visit www.ProjectJessie.ca Thank you!!!

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Thank YOU!!!

Animal Alliance supporters are the very best!

Thank you so, so much for your help! Donations big and small have been coming in and as of this morning we have covered Cameo's bill.

I am so grateful to all of you. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart!

Although the financial support was much needed and VERY appreciated, I was also incredibly touched by the kind words of support and love that were included as well.

This type of work can be emotionally draining, and you can feel like you are slogging away and no one notices. It is SO nice that you would take the time to write such wonderful and supportive messages. It really means a lot to know that you are all out there quietly supporting us, and thinking about the animals.

Thank you!!!

Thank you for caring, and for helping us to help the animals!

Shelly

For more information about the program, please visit www.ProjectJessie.ca Thank you!!!

Take the New Year's Pledge to Go Cruelty-free!

Well, another year has passed and a new one has just begun. However, it’s never too late to make a pledge to go cruelty-free!

We are asking you to add your voice to the growing list of North American consumers who have pledged to purchase products that are cruelty-free. The Pledge was initiated by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics’ (CCIC) - a collection of animal protection groups that have come together to establish a clear and concise definition for “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals”- .

Animal Alliance is proud to be an international partner of the CCIC, and as such, we are encouraging our supporters, friends and compassionate consumers to take the Pledge by clicking on the banner below.

The CCIC’s Leaping Bunny Program is the only internationally recognized certification program that ensures that manufacturers of cosmetic, household and personal care products are TRULY free of animal tests. Tests like the Draize and other skin irritancy tests are becoming obsolete as companies have bend to consumer pressure and found ways to test the safety of their products without the use of animals.

The CCIC website is a great resource for compassionate shoppers who want to purchase cruelty-free products. Over 200 companies, including over 12 Canadian manufacturers, have been certified by the CCIC and the list is constantly updated as more companies become certified. For a list of Canadian companies that are on the CCIC’s list, please visit our website.

Please ask your friends, family and co-workers to sign the pledge.

TOGETHER WE CAN... make a difference for the thousands of animals who are needlessly suffering in laboratories.

Look for Leaping Bunny Logo when shopping.

Thank you!

Calm Before the Storm

Things are getting back to normal, whatever "normal" is around here. The office was "closed" for a couple weeks at the end of December, but we were still here for Cajun and Spice and to receive the mail. Now we're back to our regular schedule, and it's quiet, relatively speaking. I have a bad feeling this is the calm before the storm.

We're preparing for our upcoming annual audits -- our regular audits, not political party campaign audits -- and I'm certain that we'll soon be inundated with calls about cats, once all this snow melts.

In December, my colleague Jacqui attended a feral cat meeting at which she learned about the North American stray / feral cat situation. Our neighbours to the south have a very different way of handling the issue: they run highly organized, large scale "Trap, Fix, Return" days during which large numbers of cats are sterilized simultaneously. It's impressive, and one would think this would make a greater impact on the stray cat population, but their hard work has about the same results as the Toronto method of independant groups / people catching and steralizing one cat at a time.

We still advocate for the implementation of the techniques employed by the city of Calgary, which has the best run animal services program in North America, if not the world. To date no municipality has heeded our advice, and, to date, no municipality has cared for their city animals as well as Calgary. There are solutions to help these animals -- it's just a matter of finding city councils willing to listen and to act in the best interests of the animals.

If anyone has the time to talk to their city councillors about this issue, PLEASE speak up, on behalf of the animals. For more information on Calgary Animal Services, please click on the following link.

http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Animal+and+Bylaw+Services/Animal+Services/index.htm

Kittens adopted during Open House, yay!

On Sunday we had our annual open-house for our volunteers, donors and colleagues and what a sucess it was! The best part was that a wonderful couple fell in love with Cleo and Coco and decided to take them home that night, yay!!

We had approximately 100 people file through the office, enjoying the company and the vegan food -- generously provided and prepared by several volunteers, particulary Board Member Kathrine Paterson. Many said it was our best party yet who knew? It's wonderful to be able to get together, reminding us that there are a lot of us out there, trying to make this world more compassionate. The animal protection movement may be hard at times, but at least we have like-minded people around to understand us when we need to vent = P

And we seem to be venting quite a bit lately. This time of year tends to be somber, reminding us that even though there are numerous animals who we've saved, there are countless more that won't be so lucky. Like I've said before, I hope that compassion at this time of year extends to people's dinner tables as they sit down to feast. I'm so thankful for my food as I prepare myself to eat, but I can't help cringing as my family digs into turkey. What a brief, difficult and cruel life those birds must endure. I'll have to make sure I bite my tongue before my convictions get the better of me! All I can do is hope that people are thankful and respectful of the lives that were involuntarily sacrificed for them.

(On that cheery note!) Wishing you all a safe and merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa or whatever else you celebrate. And thank you again for all your support for our non-human friends = ^..^ =

Winston found a home!

A note from Winston's new human:

"Yesterday, I worked the whole day from home, so he did not hide at all. He spent the whole time talking to me and curling up on my lap or by my feet as I worked. He ate at his dish several times and is now consuming almost a good tin of wet food a day. I went out last night and when I returned, he wasn't under the bed, but greeted me from a chair in my living room.

He was also very playful....running around and chewing at his toys...running into his tent for his favourite game.

He now spends the whole night on the bed curled up beside me. He gets up occasionally for what sounds like a snack...and then returns. He was even less distressed when I ran the washing machine yesterday!

He's become a lot more curious and talkative as well. I'm really surprised by his progress and am very happy to see him starting to blossom. He is the softest, sweetest boy and I really love having his company."

We couldn't have asked for a happier ending!

We're having withdrawl here at the office but thankfully we have two new kittens to distract us from missing Winnie. Spice and Cajun are surrogate mothers to our new little girls -- if anyone is looking for an instant family, give us a call!

Hope everyone has as good a weekend as Winston = ^..^=

Below is a video of Cajun and Spice (Winston is in his tent, as usual)

North America's ONLY Vegetarian Food Bank

Toronto is home to North America's ONLY vegetarian food bank! And they need help.

I was sent the article below over e-mail and recently had a brief phone conversation with Malan Joseph, the founder of the food bank. He's a wonderful and modest man, eager to help those in need. He said that even though they specialize in vegetarian food, everyone (including meat-eaters) who asks for help is given food. Since no one is turned away, they are in urgent need of donations. If anyone would like to donate food or if anyone has contacts in the food industry, please call Malan at the number below.

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Canada's only vegetarian food bank is barely five months old and already serving more than 200 people from two locations, its founders say.

"We've been very busy," says Jessica Smith.

"And I have a feeling with the economy doing what it's doing, we may get more." Smith, a vegetarian, helped set up the food bank with Malan Joseph in May. It now serves 45 families, or about 220 people, from locations at 2370 Midland Ave. and 2400 Finch Ave. W.

Joseph is a Catholic but his wife worships at the same Hindu temple as Smith. He says he saw the need for the food bank as waves of Hindu immigrants moved to the city but had trouble making ends meet. They went to food banks but, as strict vegetarians, they could not use much of what they were given.

Smith says much of the fresh fruits and vegetables come from a Milton-area farm operated by a community of Sikhs for the sole purpose of donating the produce to charities and food banks. The group prefers to remain anonymous, she says.

The food bank is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Finch location and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Midland.

Anyone interested in helping can call 416-744-4357.

http://tinyurl.com/4amlp7

Wonderful Winston and his girls

Well, in all the excitement over the past few months, I neglected to tell you all about the latest additions to the Animal Alliance office.

Amidst all the chaos with Annabell and her kittens -- Tony still needs a home = ( -- we received a frantic call from one of our volunteers, Andrea. She was contacted by the shelter that Annabell came from; they had two terrified cats that didn't eat for 10 days. The cats had to be force-fed by shelter staff just to keep them alive. Staff said that unless we could help, they would be forced to euthanize them. We said of course we'll help, we'll find space for them here. So our wonderful volunteer Morris drove with Liz to bring back two very scared little cats, Winston (in the pic) and his sister Molly.

Winston and Molly's story is a sad one. The couple shared their home with Winston and Molly for seven years. The wife died and the husband developed dementia. For a year, Winston and Molly lived with stress and loss before being surrendered to the shelter. Their stress continued weeks after they arrived here. Both had lost weight and could not cope with all the change. Gradually they came out of hiding but a little too late for Molly. She eventually succumbed to her stress; she developed kidney problems and stopped eating and eventually had to be humanely euthanized. With yet another loss of someone familiar, Winston had to figure out a way to cope on his own. His solution was to retreat again.

With all his brothers and mother gone, Tony was also feeling lonely. We decided to try Tony and Winston together. Long story short, about a week later we received yet another call from Andrea asking us to take in two more cats from the shelter to save them from the needle. So in came mommy Spice and her daughter Cajun. But it doesn't stop there -- oh no, there's always something else! In comes Justice, a 19-year-old cat, with terrible health and a whole lot of attitude. We eventually are able to integrate everyone, much to Winston's chagrin. But in just a short while, Winston realizes that this is now his new family. Now he has really come into his own, playing, grooming and sleeping with Cajun and Spice.

The sad news is that now Justice has to be put to sleep; her congestive heart failure has progressed to the point where it would be cruel to try to keep her alive. She wants to go, so we let her.

Now we are left with the task of finding a home for THREE adult cats -- it would be too hard for Winston to be separated from Cajun and Spice, to lose his family again. Please, pass along our plea for a home for three amazing, affectionate, adorable cats. It would be an instant family that I promise you'll love.